A Drive Within
by x.Bullet.Fromire.x
Summary: PostManga. The end of the world is approaching. As humans seek to find refuge among vampires, Seras Victoria feels a drive to find something else, but what is this that she searches for so desperately? Somewhere, a King awaits his Queen. AxS
1. Prologue

**R&R

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**

**A Drive Within**

**Summary: **PostManga. The end of the world is approaching. As humans seek to find refuge among vampires, Seras Victoria feels a drive to find something else, but what is this that she searches for so desperately? What drives her through the fields of hell itself to find it? AxS

**Author Notes:** Okay, well I guess I'm considering this as post Manga. In all honesty, I have never read the Manga, so I'm going off from the knowledge I've gained from either other fiction or some research I've done. Characters might not be in character, this is my first attempt at a Hellsing story, and I'm not completely confident in being able to grasp onto the ever enigmatic character of our dear Alucard. Seras is also a little harder to grasp after the 30 years that passed because I don't think anyone besides the creators knows just how much she changed. Nevertheless, I will give it my best shot! This was also inspired from Wolf's Rain. Once you read it you might see how they're connected if you've seen the Anime.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hellsing or its characters, only those that will rise from my over-active imagination.

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**Prologue**

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–

**2030**

–

"_You never gave up on me did you."_

_It was not a question, this she knew. She knew just as he knew the truth of his own words._

"_Even my Master was quickly losing hope of my return," he chuckled, a dark riveting chuckle that if she were anyone else, would have chilled the bones, but only served to warm hers._

"_I felt it in my blood, you never really left," she smiled widely, a smile that reflected an innocence that puzzled him more than anything ever had. How could someone who had seen as much as she still hold onto something as precious as innocence? _

_He grinned, and placed a gloved hand on top of her silky golden locks. She almost purred in content as they continued to stare at the full moon._

_What a beautiful night indeed._

–

**2045**

–

"_Things have calmed in recent years, but this does not guarantee such times will continue, as I'm sure you are aware of." _

"_Of course, my Master."_

_There was a silence, a silence that he took to admiring her figure. Her frail yet strong body faced the outdoors through the window in her office, the light of the moon illuminated her skin and making her somehow appear younger, and despite the years that had passed, he only saw the same strong woman that he had called his Master for over half a century._

"_When the time comes that I leave this world, others will take my place, of that we both know, and we also know that not everyone will be as... **understanding** with your nature, as well as that of Seras'."_

"_You speak as though this will happen anytime soon," even without seeing her face he could sense a wry grin on her face._

"_One never knows. Not even someone as powerful as you can guess at the future."_

_She was wrong, he knew. He could already feel her life slipping away, a fact that he had tried to ignore._

"_You wouldn't have to die, my offer will forever stand, Integral Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing," he drawled out her name, an action that had once sent shivers down her spine._

"_It is too late for me Alucard, maybe once upon a time, and even then I doubt I could have ever accepted, regardless, if ever comes a time when you or that of Seras' existence is threatened, I forbid you to go down Alucard. You will fight for your freedom, and you will not let anyone touch you and those that belong to you."_

_A long smirk crossed his feature._

"_Yes, my Master."_

–

**2060**

–

"_She would have been a beautiful vampire, wouldn't she?" her empty eyes looked down at the resting place of the last of the Hellsing line. _

"_Indeed, she would have made a great walker of the night, but there is no shame in dying as a human either," he spared the girl next to him a glance, knowing very well the check she was keeping on her emotions. He knew not even probing at her mind would let him know what she was feeling._

_He walked towards her and grabbed her chin with his fingers, gently raising her head so that she was looking at him, and he was pleased with the curiosity her eyes took on._

"_But you, my dear Seras Victoria, are an exquisite Draculina." _

_And she couldn't help but smile as she closed her eyes and leaned into his touch, how long had she longed for such words?_

–

**2070**

–

"_What will become of us, Master? We are alone now, we have no purpose," she was sitting on the ground, her arms embracing her legs as she sat on the cold floor. She was hungry, and she had never before felt so empty, not from nourishment, but from life. The once full mansion was nothing but an empty shell of what it once had been. _

_They had fled after the death of Sir Integra, but after a decade, came back. It was mostly on her part, she wanted to see what had happened, what was left. She was vastly disappointed by what they found. What had she expected anyway? A new organization? One that would take in the rouge vampires? Ha! Naivety. But she had still hoped. . ._

"_Rise Seras, the ground doesn't suit you."_

_She looked up to the red clad vampire. His imposing figure never failed to excite her. The embodiment of power. Of death. Of destruction. Something in her stirred as she looked on, her eyes beginning to fade to crimson. With a purr, she stood._

"_Yes, my Master."_

_He could see and feel the blood lust in her, and a dark chuckle escaped him._

"_You hunger, my dear Seras," she sauntered towards him, a sultry smile on her face._

"_I do, my master." she pushed herself onto him, tracing his chest with her fingers as she nuzzled his neck, inhaling his scent and licking his jugular. He wrapped his own arms around her slender waist and craned his neck the slightest._

"_Then feed," she wasted no time in obliging as she gently kissed the spot before baring her fangs digging them into his flesh. She moaned at the taste of her Master's blood. No virgin could ever compare to the power-filled blood of her Master. He pulled her closer as he chuckled._

"_We do have a purpose Seras. Our purpose is to survive. And together, we shall."_

–

**2085**

–

"_Master!" _

_She ran down through the debris as fast as she could. Another blast hit the ground next to her, and the heat barely registered as she plowed on, intent to find her Master through the Hell the Hellsing Mansion had become. It felt just like when Millennium had attacked, except it wasn't Nazi's this time. No, it was much more dangerous. _

_Humans._

_It seemed silly, that it was humans now that had the power to kill her. But was she surprised? Not really, after all, humans were adaptable, and those that survived the genocide of Millennium had rose up with one sole purpose; eradicate all vampires. They had become master Vampire Hunters, new effective weapons, strategies, numbers. Everything they did and create became centered over a defense and offense to the creatures of the night. _

_What had once been myth no longer remained shadowed, and without that protection, nothing and no one was safe. If you were not human, you were a threat, and as such, destroyed. That was what had become of them. They no longer had the advantage. They were no longer the hunters, they were the hunted._

_Over the years, the numbers of the supernatural had depleted considerably, to the point that Alucard and Seras had become the primary objective. They were the strongest of their kind, and could no longer be ignored._

_**Seras, I'm here.**_

_The mental message sent a rush of relief through her system. She would not be alone. They would survive._

–

**2108**

–

"_How long will we remain in hiding?" She looked over the snow covered field that lay beyond the castle walls. A sight that had become ordinary over the years. _

"_Who says we are hiding?"_

_She looked back to see him leaning against the wall, his crimson gaze staring into her own blue one._

"_Constantine's Coven has once more asked for our alliance, why do you continue to deny fighting against the humans?"_

_His great loud laugh filled her ears and she waited for it to pass as is dulled to a maniac grin. He removed himself from the wall and walked over to her. She remained immobile as she once more turned her gaze towards the winter landscape. Long arms snaked around her waist, and a mouth found her neck._

"_My Queen, how you have changed. Once, you would have fought for the humans," she craned her neck, allowing him to further his assault with his mouth._

"_Things change. The humans have turned against us. Vampires are my people now."_

"_Are they now?" _

_She turned in his grasp, wrapping her arms around his neck and stared into his eyes. Eyes forever full of mirth and amusement, eyes that she had struggled so hard to decode, but could only scratch but the surface._

"_You will always be an enigma," she smiled, a warm smile that reflected the young innocent girl she had been over a century ago, "But my place will always be by your side."_

"_As it should be," and he leaned forward, capturing her lips in a searing kiss. _

–

**2115**

–

"_Please, take us under your protection," the human stood before Seras and Alucard. There were four others. Two women, one boy, and one girl. All of the same blond hair and green eyes. A family._

_How this family even found them was a mystery._

"_Our protection?" she narrowed her eyes. This was new. Humans that wished to be protected by vampires? Why? Vampires were the enemy to the humans. _

"_The world is deteriorating. Cities everywhere are being destroyed by the four powers of the world. The end is approaching. The only way for us to survive is by the protection of vampires. We are not stupid, we understand that vampires cannot survive without human blood. It has come to the point that our species will not survive without the other."_

"_So that is what humans now believe. Pathetic," Alucard narrowed his eyes at the humans, "I once respected your kind. But now you are nothing but the scum you once sought to destroy. Why would you think that we need our own personal blood bank in order to survive?"_

"_I have no reason beyond our will to survive and continue living as a family. If you will not take us in, then turn or kill us. There is nothing for us out there anymore," the boy of the group began crying, and Alucard stood from his throne and turned to leave. _

"_Seras, I will leave this matter to you."_

_She already knew the answer. She smiled as she walked up to the crying boy. She knelt so that she was eye level with him and placed a hand on his head. The family around him looked on frightfully, unsure of what would happen next._

"_Shush, little one. Everything will be alright."_

–

**2120**

–

"_Human forces are approaching!"_

_Alucard looked from his throne to the man before him. A grin spread over his features._

"_So they have found us. I wonder how." _

_The flicker of nervousness that spread over the human boy's face told him everything he had already known._

"_Please, she didn't know what she was doing! Spare her!"_

_The family had been nothing but a nuisance since they had taken them in. This was the final strike. He should have killed them when he had the chance._

_Seras soon appeared from the shadows to stand beside him._

"_They outnumber us by a great deal."_

"_It makes no difference. Come Seras. Let us feast," he outstretched her hand to her, and she gladly took a hold of it with her own._

"_Yes, my Lord. Lets," a slow grin spread over her features, and they were gone into the the soon to be battlefield._

–

They should have learned by now never to underestimate the humans.

After more than a century of learning about their vampires ways,it no longer mattered that they were the most powerful of their kind. The humans had learned once more. Adapted once more. They easily managed to take out most of the human forces that had been sent for them, but it became harder and harder to kill. There was something in their weapons, something that they had never encountered before, something stronger than silver, more powerful than blessed blades. It was affecting their ability to heal, their ability to control their powers.

Seras knew there was something wrong. She could no longer sense her familiar. She could no longer summon her shadows, and her wounds from the humans were not healing as they should have. Valuable blood seeped from her arm as a circle of humans soon surrounded her. Where was Alucard? She hissed at them, crouching defensively as for the first time in a long time, she was cornered. Unable to do anything. She attempted to call out to Alucard telepathically, but she couldn't seem to locate that invisible link. What trickery was this?

"It's over vampire. This is the end," they fired their weapons, and she attempted to move, but found herself glued to the ground as rope-like tendrils wrapped around her. Pain stronger than she had ever felt coursed through her body. A painful scream tore itself from her throat as the pain continued, until finally she collapsed to the ground, surrounded by darkness.

A human took out a stake, ready to drive it through her heart before a voice stopped him.

"No. We have special orders for this one. Lord Kramer asked to bring her in. Hurry up and load her onto the ship and leave, before the other one realizes what happened."

"Right away sir!"

The lithe form of the vampire was quickly picked up and taken past the foliage that surrounded the castle. A ship rose up in a clearing where several other humans seemed to be holding a perimeter. Once the vampire was inside, the rest of the soldiers followed suit, and the ship took off, a sonic boom following in its wake.

–

The snow covered fields now seemed to be covered in a red sheet as hundreds of dead bodies littered the scene. There were no survivors. The vampire king's figure was the only one who loomed over the fields of death, as he licked the last traces blood from his hand. His eyes soon surveyed the land, searching, calculating. Something was missing. His mind searched for her, but how can one find something that is not there? He already knew she had been taken. He had heard her last scream of pain. But he had been weakened by this new sorcery of the humans. His powers had been blocked for the most part. He did not know how the humans had achieved this, but it would not go unpunished.

_"Return to me, Seras Victoria."_

**TBC**

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**Ending Comments: **I've been thinking of this for a while now. So what did you guys think? Does this show promise? Are the characters adequately characterized? I sure hope so! I guess this chapter kinda serves as a timeline to the events that have led up to the story. What is it like 90 years? I guess that would be like 120 years since Seras was turned. It was really condensed so I'm sorry if you guys found it a bit confusing. I hope to clear things up in later chapters. I wanted to make this into a long oneshot. But i simply can't do that. I need readers and reviewers to push me to write! Soo. . .

**Review?(:**


	2. A Stranger in a Stranger Place

**R&R**

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**Author Comments:** Well since I seemed to really be in the mood to write this story, I managed to write out this chapter faster than I expected. And probably also because finals ended last week, so I'm not swamped in homework for once! Usually I don't upload until I get around ten reviews or so(yes, greedy, i know). But since I know Hellsing is a fandom rarely visited, I understand there will be less reviews. Still, those I did get definitely aided in getting this chapter out so fast(I still can't believe it). My other stories will surely kill me! Still I hope you'll enjoy this.

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing, not Hellsing, only the ideas that came from my imagination.

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**Chapter One

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Darkness.

It was constant darkness that surrounded her. Her consciousness somehow realized she was there, alive, existing. But it constantly felt like she was drifting. Endless drifting. And sometimes, something would break through the darkness. Faces. There were many faces. Some more reoccurring than others.

There was a man. Dark hair and a monocle over one eye. When she saw him, a sense of betrayal and sadness would wash over her. Who was he? But she would never find out, and he would lie forgotten, just as everything eventually did. There was someone else. A woman this time. Long blond hair and circular glasses, always wearing a suit. There were several off her, gradually growing older. This one brought a sense of admiration to her, but she too eventually faded.

Only the most powerful of memories remained.

A child, hiding in a closet. Two dead bodies. A man and a woman. The child running after having picked up a fork. Stabbing one of the murders and getting shot. Pain and numbness as she lay on the ground and stared as the dead woman was raped. Could that child be her? Then there was that voice. It had been there since the beginning. Gradually fading as she drifted. She couldn't quite place where the voice came from, but when she heard it, she saw a man with brown hair, and eye patch over one of his eyes. She had been able to hear that voice so clear at first. Calling to her. If only she could reply.

Mignonette. That's what he had called her. It seemed so affectionate. It made her ache inside.

_Wake up, mignonette..._

_Don't lose yourself..._

_Fight..._

_Don't give up..._

_I can feel it mignonette... I'm fading..._

_Its been a pleasure... Seras..._

The voice too eventually faded, until she heard it no more. And then there was that man. He was always there, always reoccurring. He was so beautiful. With his pale complexion and crimson eyes that seemed to make her smolder. When she saw him, the feelings were overwhelming. Something told her he too would disappear, but she fought with despair to hold on to those memories the most. But it was futile. She could not hold on to them, and not even a haze could be remembered. And then...

Nothing.

Nothing could penetrate the darkness that surrounded her.

Until that day.

Voices. That's what she heard. It felt as if the darkness was lifting, and the first thing she managed to make out was the sound of voices. They were faint at first, but gradually rose in volume.

"Help me! We don't have much time! Lord Jair's army will be upon us soon!"

"Why are we waking her up? The process isn't yet complete! We don't know how she'll react when she's awake!"

"We have to risk it, we can't allow her to be taken. She might be the key."

"This is crazy, I won't be a part of this!"

Then she felt something unfamiliar. Something constricting in her chest. And without realizing, she breathed. A long intake of breath that caused her whole chest to rise as her eyes snapped open as the air rushed in. That action felt so unfamiliar, as if it was something her body was not used to doing, and for a moment all she could do was gasp for breath as her body desperately tried to get used to such an action.

She looked around to see a white empty room full of machinery and monitors, but there was only one body besides her. A man in what looked like a lab coat stood beside her, and she attempted to move, but found that her wrists and ankles were shackled to the table she was in. She looked at them with confusion, wondering just what situation she was in.

"Where am I? What's going on?" her voice was soft and full of confusion as she looked to the man. He was keeping his distance, watching her warily.

"Do you know who you are?"

The question felt odd, but as she processed it, she realized that she had no idea who she was. The realization brought panic flooding into her system, and she felt her limbs go rigid.

"Who am I?" she asked herself, looking at her shackled hands before moving once more to the face of the man.

But before she could receive a reply, the whole room seemed to shake, and the lights flickered. When the room seemed to regain its stability, the man snapped into action.

"We have to get out of here," he pressed some buttons on a keypad and her shackles seemed to open and release her. The man quickly took a hold of her wrist and dragged her up. She was barefoot, and her only clothing were bandages wrapped around her chest and pelvic area. He seemed to stop a closet and pull out another lab coat and gave it to her, which she put on automatically. He once more grabbed onto her wrist and began to pull her out through a door, taking off running down a brightly lit hallway.

She could hear loud bangs and explosions from all around her, and more than once the building they occupied seemed to shake from invisible blasts.

"What's going on?" she asked as she was dragged through several lit hallways.

"We're being attacked. It seems Lost Jair wasn't fond of the idea of us keeping you here," he stated as he turned a corner.

"But... why?" she asked, nothing he said made any sense. Who was Lord Jair? Why was she even here?

"You're the key."

"Key?" she looked on, her brows furrowing. Key to what? He seemed to understand her hidden question.

"Yes, you will be the key to – " but he never finished. A loud bang rung out followed by several others as a group of three man, covered in head to toe in black suits appeared at the end of the hallway they were in. She felt a pain in her arm and leg, and looked to see blood seeping through a hole in her lab coat, while the man that had been pulling her fell to the ground, red quickly staining his white lab coat.

She froze, her eyes widening as fear rushed through her system. The pain barely registered as she looked at the men advancing. They raised their weapons once more and something in her clicked, causing her to quickly turn around and run. She heard the shots and felt the pain in her back that caused her to stumble, but she moved forward, ignoring the pain as she continued on, and took the first corner she came across.

She had no time to think as she ran through the hallways, always taking a different turn when she saw the men covered in black. More than once she came upon the sight of dead bodies, and the smell brought an odd mix of disgust and excitement to her system. But she plowed on, until she found a door at a dead end, and when she opened it, found herself outside, but a horrible sight awaited her. Buildings everywhere were on fire. Bodies littered the ground. Men. Women. Children. Pets. Nothing seemed to be alive.

She heard the sound of turbines above her and she looked up to see massive ships above the city, repeatedly firing down at the buildings below.

Then she felt something behind her, and turned just in time to see a man in black come through the same doors she had. He raised his weapon and she heard the click as he pulled the trigger. She didn't know how she did it, but it seemed as though she could clearly see the silver red-tipped bullets as they escaped the barrels of the gun, her feet moved on their own accord, stepping to the side and dodging the spray while at the same time moving forward. She could clearly see the man's eyes widening through the visor of his helmet as one of her hands wrapped around his neck, picking him up and snapping his neck in one swift movement.

A gasp escaped her, and she quickly dropped the limp body of the man.

She stared at her hand with wide eyes. It had felt so natural, to snap his neck like that. She had dodged and seen the bullets as if they were moving in slow motion.

"Is... is this normal?" Something inside her told her it was, but something else told her it wasn't right.

"Miss!" her head snapped towards the direction of the new voice. It was a male, who appeared to be a young adult, and he was gasping for breath as he approached her. He had dark brown hair and brown eyes, green cargo pants and a brown jacket.

"Are you okay?" she found herself in a daze, unable to find her voice to answer. A loud explosion came from the building she had exited from, and flames broke through the windows, shards falling to the ground as she felt the heat that came from the explosion.

"Come on, we have to get out of here!"

He began running in the opposite direction of the building, and with only slight hesitation, she followed him. They ran through the burning city and through the dead bodies, hiding behind buildings when they encountered more of the armored men. They ran until they reached its outskirts. He opened the door of a building that remained untouched and took them inside. He motioned her inside and then walked into a room where he seemed to open a door on the floor. There were stairs leading down and he walked in, helping her in afterward.

"Joey!" a young girl cried out as she ran towards the boy from behind what looked like a box. She had the same brown hair and green eyes but considerably younger. She wrapped her small arms around his mid section and he hugged her back.

"Did you find ma and pa?" she looked up hopefully, and he looked away. It was all she needed to know as tears filled her eyes and loud sobs escaped her. He knelt down and enveloped her tighter as the sobs continued to escape her, each time louder than the last. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck as she cried on his shoulder. She cried until her body tired and she fell asleep, tears still falling down her face. He leaned against the wall, cradling the younger girl in his lap, fighting down his own tears and lump on his throat.

He finally looked up to the girl he had brought here. She was still standing, her blue eyes seemed glazed as if she was deep in thought. The lab coat did little to cover her and was covered with blotches of blood.

"Are you okay?" he asked. She looked up as if startled, and it seemed as if it took her a moment for his questions to register.

"I..." she looked at her arm, and pulled the lab coat from it. Her eyes widened when she saw there was no longer a hole from the bullet that hit her arm, and in a flurry got rid of the coat entirely, craning her neck as she felt her back where she was sure she had been shot, but only found smooth skin with the remnants of blood.

"I guess I am," she seemed surprised, and he tried not to stare at her half naked body, the reason why her surprise didn't register in his head.

"You, ah, should put that back on," he tried to ignore the heat on his face and she obliged, giving him a soft apology.

"Are you alone?" he asked her. He had found her alone, and despite the fact she had seemed so out of place, he couldn't help but act on the urge to help her. She nodded slowly, her long blond hair swaying slightly. He sighed.

"We'll have to wait here until everything's safe, I hope we're not the only survivors," his eyes were downcast as he recalled the dead bodies on the streets, he had recognized almost all of them, his parents being one of them. He could still hear blasts and gun shots coming from outside, and he could only hope that the whole city wouldn't be leveled. If it was, it would not be the first, and certainly not the last. The Powers no longer cared about human casualties. Not even their own. His fists clenched unconsciously. And because of it, he and his sister were now orphaned.

"What happened? Why was the city attacked?" she asked. He stared at her curiously. He shrugged.

"Who knows. The Powers are constantly fighting for control over land. I doubt they even have a reason anymore over what city they'll attack next," his voice was laced with venom, and she frowned. The man back in the building said they had attacked because of her. . . but this boy didn't know about it, did only those in the building know? Something told her not to tell this boy however, and instead she asked him something else.

"Who are the Powers?" the look he gave her this time was incredulous. Had she been living under a rock this entire time?

"You mean to tell me you don't know who they are?" she nodded slowly.

"I can't remember anything."

"Anything? You're name? Where you're from? Family?"

She shook her head.

"Nothing."

He frowned.

"What's the last thing you remember?"

The first thing that came to her mind was of her killing that man. But how could she tell him that? Something told her that telling him wasn't the right course of action. What would he think of her?

"I woke up in that building, while it was under attack."

His eyes widened. She couldn't possibly mean Xomet. Could she? Xomet was a experimental facility that dealt with advancements for drugs. Could she have been a test subject? That was probable, and it could even explain why she lost her memory.

"Well that might explain it, Xomet deals with experimenting with drugs. Maybe they gave you something that made you forget your memory," her brows furrowed as she seemed to contemplate the revelation.

"Maybe you're right..." could that also explain her ability to heal and her speed? That had to be it...

"You should sit, and have some rest. Who knows how long we'll be here," she obliged, and leaned against one of the walls across from him. She hugged her legs and placed her head on her knees, and despite the fact she had just woken up, she easily fell into an empty sleep.

The boy looked at her still figure. She seemed so lost, so confused, her eyes always far off. What could have happened to her? What kind of experiments might she have gone through? He felt his sister stir in his arms, and looked down at her sleeping face. There were tear streaks running down her face, and he felt a pang of pain to his chest.

What were they to do now? Their city was destroyed. Their parents were dead. What was he supposed to do now? They couldn't possibly stay in this town could they? The sound of bullets had already died down, and the bombings seemed to have stopped. Was there anyone left? He looked up at the girl sleeping across from him. She was pretty, he could see that clearly. Her face seemed so child-like, but it looked good on her somehow. Could it be that she felt as lost as he did right now? He contemplated the question, until he felt his own eyes begin to slip shut, and he slipped into his own slumber.

–

When he woke, it took him a moment to remember where he was and why. His sister was still in his arms asleep, but he noticed that the girl was no longer across from him. With a jolt, he placed his sister on the ground next to him, and stood up, noticing the secret door leading up was open. He went upstairs and immediately saw the night sky through one of the windows of the building. He ventured out cautiously and looked around, looking for the girl.

"I'm here," he jumped slightly as he heard her voice coming from outside. He walked out to see her sitting down and leaning against the walls of the building.

"Jesus, you scared me. What are you doing out here?"

Not once did she remove her gaze from the moon outside.

"I felt the ships leave. I thought it would be safe to come out."

He hesitated before sitting down beside her.

"Why do would you wanna be out here? There's nothing but a ruined city left," he frowned as he looked around, the fires that had consumed the city hours before seemed to have died out, and from the wetness of the ground, he could gather that it was only thanks to some rain. Now however, the sky was completely clear besides for the moon. His gaze settled on her moonlit face, not missing the serene smile on her face as she replied.

"The night... it called out to me..."

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. What an odd thing to say. An odd girl indeed. She continued to stare at the moon, she was so still that he almost forgot she was there as he too looked into the sky. He tried to see what was so great about it, but all he felt was chilly air and a certain uneasiness from the darkness that surrounded him.

"What are we gonna call you?" she finally looked away from the moon, looking at him questioningly.

"Name wise, I mean. You need a name don't you?" he ran a hand through his hair as if embarrassed.

She looked back towards the moon, her name? She tried to remember her name, her brows furrowing in concentration, but she came up blank, her head throbbing slightly from the exertion.

"I don't know my name," she replied, her voice somewhat defeated.

"Well, we can give you a nickname right?" she tilted her head at the suggestion, but nodded.

"How about Celena? Since you seem to like the moon so much."

"Celena..." she tested out the name with her own mouth, and despite that it brought no sense of familiarity, she nodded her head. At least it gave her an identity. I was a start. A start to what? She couldn't help but wonder. She had so many questions. Questions she had no idea how to find the answers to.

"We used to have a dog by that name," she turned to look at the boy, noticing the bittersweet smile on his face, and waited for him to continue.

"She was a beautiful dog. She looked so much like wolf, as white as the moon."

She seemed to sense something within him, and somehow she knew that something bad had happened.

"What happened to it?" she asked cautiously. His eyes narrowed. He remembered only too well what had happened.

"_Vampires_," the simple word was laced with so much hate and venom that she resisted the urge to rear back from him. The word also seemed to stir something inside her. The word seemed so familiar, and in a moment her mind seemed to register what it was. Creatures of myth and damnation. Bloodsuckers.

"Vampires?" she repeated. He nodded, and she noticed his fist clench.

"The only creatures more foul than the Powers. They have been humanity's enemy for centuries. Selfish creatures, they almost destroyed our entire race long ago. How stupid is it to kill your source of food anyway? Now its them that are soon becoming extinct. But it was one of those that remain that killed Celena. A vampire came to town, but none of us realized it. They're so sneaky, those bastards. They look so much like us. We were asleep, when we heard Celena growling and barking. She never barked or growled, so the noise woke all of us up. When we went outside to investigate, we saw him. He had blood all over him, and when he looked at us, his eyes bled red. Dad immediately rushed to get his rifle, and the vampire attacked. Celena jumped at him, protecting us and tried to bite at him. Of course she was no match for him."

He closed his eyes as he remembered the memory.

"He killed her that night. But if it wasn't for her sacrifice, we would probably all be dead."

A sadness seemed to seep into her, and she sympathized with the pain the boy must have felt.

"And the vampire?" she looked at him, completely absorbed in his tale.

"He ran, that coward, once he saw Dad with the rifle. I've hated vampires ever since. Anyone who believes that vampires are our key to survival is demented. Vampires don't protect. They kill. Its their nature."

"_You're the key."_

The man's words from the building rushed to her head, and her eyes widened.

"The key to survival?"

They boy slowly nodded, remembering her lack of knowledge.

"There's a belief that the world is coming to an end. That the Power's fight for land and control will bring upon the end of our world and our race. Many believe that the only way to survive, is under the protection of vampires. That only vampires can stand up against the Powers and survive. They believe that they can reach an agreement. After all, if the belief that our race faces extinction, vampires would lose their primary food source. I guess it kinda makes sense. Vampires protect their food source, humans can survive. But how stupid is that? You're living, only to live as prey to vampires. Its ridiculous! Then there's those that want to be _turned_ into vampires. Disgusting."

His grimace showed the disgust he felt at the thought, and for some reason it struck a chord in her, making her frown.

"But you said vampires are almost extinct."

He sighed, and paused for a moment.

"That's what we think anyway. I guess we can't be sure how many vampires are really out there. For a time after the war between humans and vampires, humans dedicated all their efforts on eradicating them all. As history has it, a large majority of vampires and other creatures were destroyed. Recently however, after the rise of the four Powers, those efforts soon turned against each other as they fought for more land and power, always trying to best the others. We've left vampires alone for the most part, but it seems like they left us alone as well."

"Retreating back into the shadows..." the words left her mouth before she realized she said it, but they made so much sense in her mind that she didn't doubt the truth of her words. The boy shrugged.

"You could say that. No one even knows where any vampires reside. They've made sure to keep themselves a secret, that's for sure. Finding a vampire is almost impossible. Until they drink your blood and kill you that is."

He scoffed.

"Are they all that bad?"

"Hell yeah. The day you find a good vampire is the day the Powers will make peace," He looked straight at her, his words sounding so sure as he said them.

He was wrong. Something inside her told her he was wrong. But she let him believe it. They both fell into silence. Each contemplating the conversation they had just had. She felt so out of touch with this world she had woken up in. She felt like a stranger in an even stranger place. How could she live like this? Without knowing about anything around her? One thing she was sure, she was glad this boy had found her. The knowledge he had shared with her seemed help her make sense of the world, even if it was only a little. She could only hope that somehow her memories would return.

They boy sighed before getting up.

"We should head back in. Tomorrow we can look for any survivors, if there are any," he mumbled the last part as he said it.

"You go on, I'll stay out here for a bit."

He seemed to hesitate, uncomfortable with the idea of leaving her out there by herself, but he nodded in the end.

"Alright, just be careful."

She nodded, and she heard the sound of his steps all the way down to the shelter. She heard him as he seemed to find a comfortable position on the ground and even heard his breathing until it became shallow and even, signaling he had fallen asleep. She looked up at the night sky, and despite the events that had taken place earlier, the calming and soothing effects around her seemed to ease the feeling of despair at entering into this strange world. It felt so familiar, being out in the night air.

"It's a beautiful night."

And she could only wonder why that phrase brought a smile to her face.

**TBC**

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**Review Responses**:

**maroongrad**: I'm really glad you found the dates helpful, that was my intentions from the start. And I sure hope you'll stay with me throughout this story! You could easily be my motivation to see this story to the end :D

**eyes of sin**: Aww, the capitalization just made me smile! And woo! We like the same things! Cheers for gore and AxS goodness! I hope you'll stay with me through this story too, and I hope this chapter helped satisfy the gore part if only a little, I know there wasn't a lot :/ As for the AxS... we'll get to that xb

**Tsukiyomi Lien**: I'm really glad that the characters were in character to you, and I sure hope that everyone else thinks so too. You're review definitely gave me some confidence in writing this out and I hope that this chapter met your expectations of what you hoped to get. I aim to please my readers after all, specially those who review with helpful comments :)

**Duvet**: I'm glad you thought so, and I will gladly give you more as long as you're here :)

**Trinnerti**: I like when my ideas are seen as different. I hope my work will continue to be unique and satisfying to you, this chapter included :)

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Again, thanks so much for your reviews guys, it sure makes writing worth it! Keep sending me feedback so I know how you guys feel about my story and what I can do to make it better.

**Review(:**


	3. Whose Wise Yet Searching

**R&R**

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**A Drive Within**

**Author Comments: **Okay so I got some inspiration to write this chapter after some time. I'm still liking my plot so far and its like 3 A.M and I simply can't seem to stay awake anymore but I'll do it anyway. And here it is, therefore I apologize for any grammar or spelling mistakes. Its kinda short for me, but I felt I ended it right where I should have. I know maybe not a lot happens, but this is a story that I wanna be patient with take care to building up the plot. Thanks to those who like it!

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**Chapter Two**

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–

She found that waking up in the middle of the day was nowhere near as good as waking up with the call of the night, especially when there was an insistent shaking of her shoulder. She groaned and tried to ignore the shaking, something told her it was far too early to be awake. She heard a sigh and the shaking seemed to stop, and she was suddenly aware of the heat radiating from a body nearby.

"Celena, please wake up. I could really use your help today. I know I just met you an all, but I'm not sure there's anyone else who can help me," she recognized the voice belonging to Joey. The events that had occurred the previous day came rushing back, and with a jolt she sat up from her position on the ground beneath her. Joey gave her a grateful smile.

"I didn't want to wake you up, but I would really appreciate some help. I... don't want to wake Rosella just yet," she followed his gaze to the young girl still sleeping across from her. Her face was marred with dried tears and every once in a while her body shook as she took in deep shuddering breaths. Seras nodded in understanding and stood up. He had already helped her out so much, it was the least she could do.

She followed him as they exited the shelter, and she grimaced as soon as they came out into the sunlit city. The day was nowhere near as calming and enjoyable as the night had been, and she found the sun a little more than annoying. Not to mention the daylight also served to once more reveal the length to just how much the city had suffered. The bodies were still there, the blood on the ground seemed to have washed with the rain but some still splattered the building walls, those that remained that is. Some buildings seemed to have collapsed in on themselves. She didn't like the sight, but somehow it appeared normal. As if she had seen this many times before.

"Its hard to believe just a day ago everyone here was alive," she turned her gaze to Joey, whose face seemed to struggle to stay firm. His bottom lip trembled, and she could visibly see his body shake.

"I could point out to every body here and tell you their names, who their family was, where they lived, what they did for a living. And now, just like that, they're gone. I can't seem to wrap my head around it," he stopped and stared at the ground, the shaking of his body gradually increasing. She could not see his face, but the smell of salt that assaulted her nose told her he had began to cry. His shoulders began to shake, and soon he began to sob.

"Why?" his whisper was more than loud enough to hear, even through his sobs. Her heart ached, and the urge to comfort him seemed to root itself inside her. The sight was so sad. So human.

"Why, dammit? What did they ever do to deserve dying? Its not right. Its not right!" his sobbing increased as she walked to his side, wrapping her arms around his shaking body. He tensed at her actions but she did not let go. He needed comfort, and she would provide it.

"They may have not deserved to die the way they did, but there is nothing you can do about it now. What's done is done. What matters is that you are alive, and back there underground, is a little girl that will need her big brother to help her get through this," she knew that what he needed was a purpose. She understood that such an event must be hard for someone to go through, and the best way to overcome such a tragedy was to have something to fight for, something that would help him through it. The only thing she could think of was his connection to the little girl that would soon wake up to a nightmare. She was surprised when his sobs seemed to turn into a chuckle and he pulled away from her, wiping the tears away from his face.

"You must think I'm weak, crying like a baby," he said, avoiding her gaze. She smiled sadly, and shook her head. Weakness. Such a word could never be used to describe him.

"To cry means you're human, it's the best way to lessen the grief in your heart. It's when you don't cry that you grow weak, it's when you feel nothing that you become a monster," she did not know where her words came from, she felt as if they were an echo from so long ago, from a time she could no longer remember. He seemed just as surprised as her when he turned his gaze to look at her. His eyes were confused and red from the sobs that had escaped him.

"How are you so wise? Just who are you?" she looked on sheepishly and shrugged.

"I'm wondering the same thing," his eyes widened when he remembered her situation. How was it that someone that could not even remember who she was or where she came from possess such powerful words? He couldn't help but laugh, and the surprised look on her face only made him laugh even harder.

"What's so funny?" she asked with a tight tone. If he wasn't laughing so hard he might have actually thought the look on her face was kind of scary, but it only served to make him laugh even harder to the point he doubled over and grabbed his stomach. He struggled to regain his breathing and stop his laughing. Something he knew was inappropriate for the situation he was in. But it felt so good to laugh, so liberating compared to the pain and grief that had gripped his heart just moments before.

"Forgive me," he said once he finally calmed down, "I just find it amusing, that one moment you appear so wise, throwing philosophy at me, and the next you seem like a lost little girl who knows so little about herself."

Her frown soon turned into a sheepish smile as she processed his words.

"I guess it is sort of amusing," she rubbed the back of her head and laughed lightly. But her face once more turned grim when she saw him look up once more to the scattered bodies in the ruined city. He sighed.

"I want to give them a proper burial. I can't leave them like this. I can't leave their bodies to scavengers and God knows what else," she was glad to see that his grief had lessened, though she knew he would continue to mourn their lives, something told her he would get through this and become a stronger person because of it. So she nodded, more than willing to lend a hand.

"How can I help?"

–

Joey was more than a little surprised to see her easily manage to carry one or two bodies at a time. Even he struggled with a single body, and he wondered if this strength was also thanks to what went on in Xomet. Just what the hell were those bastards doing to her? No one in the city was aware of what Xomet really did. It was built according to the wishes of Lord Kramer, and those of the city that worked there were not allowed to talk about it. And while he was quite curious about her past, he knew there were bigger problems to deal with..

Like the fact that he knew that the graveyard of their city would not be able to hold all the bodies, and he knew that the task of burying everyone would take weeks, months even. They were not a small city, and while they were not large either, he knew that there must be a couple hundred people who were killed, no, _massacred_ was a better word. A genocide that had become far too common in their world. They were to be buried on the outskirts of the city. They would take carry them first, and then they would bury them with the proper care they deserved. He wished he could do more, but he could only do so much.

He buried his parents first. He wished Rosella could have been there, but at the same time he was glad she wasn't. Seeing the bloodied mess of their bodies would only have scared her further. She should not have to witness something like that. He had also given Celena some of his mother's closing. It was an odd fit, considering his mother was not as... endowed with such a full figure as that of Celena. His mother had been quite petite all around. But he knew Celena needed clothing, and he was sure his mother would not have minded. She had always had a kind heart. He only wished her clothing would not have to become soiled with the blood of others.

He had lost count of how many bodies he had carried to the outskirts by midday. Carrying the lifeless bodies brought a chill to his heart every time. The first time he almost threw up his empty stomach. The smell of their corpse, the sight of blood. It took him a while to finally gain the courage and strength to carry them. Celena had managed it much easier than him, and it was his pride that pushed him to do just as well as her.

And it was by midday that he discovered something. He had been about to lift up yet another dead body when something caught his attention from the corner of his eye. Brown hair just around the corner of a building.

"Rosella?" he called out loud as he stood up, his eyes furrowing as he made his way towards where he had seen the figure. His speed quickened when he saw it move and a head slowly pop out. He immediately recognized who it was.

"Melody!" he cried out and the young woman ran out from behind the building, straight for him.

"Joey!" she embraced him and he wrapped his own arms around her, "I thought everyone was dead."

They separated and he had never been more glad to see another live person in his life.

"I thought so too. Is anyone else alive?" he asked anxiously and was elated when she nodded her head.

"My family and a few others are alive. We hid in a bomb shelter just in time. I don't know about anyone else though," her brown eyes became sad once more but the news were still great to his ears. It gave him hope. Maybe others had done the same thing as well.

He was not alone.

"Where are they?" he asked, grabbing onto her shoulders. She turned around and began to lead the way. They reached the building where he had known Melody had lived. It was along the outskirts, so he knew it was probably why they had managed to survive through the worst of it. She called out to them and assured them it was safe.

He smiled once he saw each of them exit the building. There were seven in total. Melody's parents, her little brother and sister. The old lady named Uriel and her husband and a man he knew as Lee. Their faces were full of shock once they saw what had become of their precious city, but they greeted him with sad and grateful smiles nonetheless.

"Are your parents...?" Joey shook his head before Austin, Melody's father, could finish the question. Everyone's faces immediately became grim and Melody's mother put her hand to her face, her eyes watering.

"I'm sorry to hear," Joey just forced a grateful smile on his face and nodded, trying to force down the lump in his throat that formed.

"Rosella is still hiding. And there's another girl. Her name is Celena I found during the attack. She was the only one I found still alive."

He told them about his plan to bury the dead, and was grateful when they volunteered to help in any way they could. He felt he would need all the help he could get with a task of such magnitude. He knew Melody's mother would never be able to carry the dead bodies, so he gave her and Uriel the task of looking after his sister. She could barely look at the bodies as they made they way to building where Rosella was at. The kids Barrington and Angela were as silent as the dead., they stared at the ground as they walked and never looked up. Austin and Lee volunteered to help carry the dead and Uriel's husband Sebastian offered to find a truck to make things easier.

It was on their way that they came across the blond haired woman. Her back was turned to them and they could see she was carrying two bodies slung across her shoulders.

"Celena!" Joey called out. They watched in amazement as the petite woman turned around only to see yet another body being carried in her arms. They watched as she leaned down to place the bodies once more on the ground with care and stood back up, walking towards them.

"I see you found survivors," she offered them a smile and greeted them politely. They introduced themselves and they were told about Celena's situation and lack of memories.

"Oh you poor dear," Uriel could sympathize with the young woman's situation. As an elderly woman, she understood the value of memories. Now that her life was coming to an end, all she really had was her memories, and while lately they had become full of hardships, she still remembered the good times she deeply treasured of a time where peace was actually heard of.

"We should really get started. It will take weeks to bury everyone here," everyone nodded and Joey led the way to Rosella with the woman and children in tow while Celena led Austin and Lee to the outskirts where they would be placing the bodies along with the others and Sebastian went on to find a truck.

By nightfall they had found a truck, and had managed to bury a decent number of bodies of the dead. It was a fraction of what was left, but it was progress. Angela and Barrington had been sent to search for food nearby and they had made a fire and cooked some food. Everyone ate in silence and no conversation was made. Rosella had refused to move from her spot or talk to anyone all day and Joey had to take food down for her to eat. Before long goodnight's were said and soon everyone except the petite blond had left for the comfort of the indoors.

She put out the fire and settled in the same spot she had the previous night. The night was warmer than it had been the previous day but she enjoyed it nonetheless. She could hear the movement of the survivors as they settled in for the night. She wasn't tired, on the contrary. The night seemed to make her feel far more awake than she had felt throughout the entire day. She found herself easily losing herself in thoughts as she stared at the night sky. The same questions about herself continued to plague her, but new ones also arose.

What would happen with these people once they finished their task? Would they continue to live in this city? Rebuild? Move on? What would happen to her? She wanted to stay and help them, but what would she do afterward? She considered many things. She wanted to find more about herself, but how could she do that when she had no idea where to start? So far the only things she knew were in this city.

It seemed everyone had fallen asleep except for one. She could hear the soft padding of her feet as the figure stepped out into the night. It was the old lady, Uriel. The woman did not immediately acknowledge the petite blond as she too seemed to get lost in the sight of the moon and neither spoke for some time.

"You seem different," the elderly woman finally said. Blue eyes turned to look at her questioningly. The old lady's expression was empty as she continued to stare at the moon.

"How so?" she decided to ask and was rewarded with a pause of silence that made her believe she would not receive a response.

"Your eyes. They speak of many years of wisdom. You may not remember, but something tells me they have seen many things, and I have never been wrong when I look into the eyes. They are the window to the soul after all, and a truer saying has never been uttered."

The woman was startled by this conviction, and she wondered if there was truth to such words. And if so, what kind of things had she seen? Why couldn't she remember anything?

"Perhaps you are right, but I can't seem to remember those years, so I can't tell you for sure," she offered her a small smile and returned her gaze to the moon, wishing for a way to unlock those memories.

Uriel took one last look at the sky and the smooth complexion of the young woman that sat on the ground. The moon illuminated the girl in an almost tender manner that made her look angelic. And yet...

"Will you stand for me?" the blond eyed the old lady warily but obliged, knowing the frail woman could never be a threat, and briefly wondered why the idea that she could even be a threat came to mind. She stood taller than her and she was surprised when the old woman placed a hand to her throat, right where she knew her jugular to be. A glint came to the eyes of the woman and a slow smile spread over her features.

"I wish you good luck, something tells me you have quite the journey ahead of you if you wish to unlock your memories."

She did not wait for a response as she turned around, and headed inside once more. The night was not a safe place to be in, but she knew for a fact the woman outside felt right at home. A knowing smile came upon her face. For that woman would be their salvation.

**TBC

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****Review Responses**:

**Trinnerti**: I'm glad you're still with me. Yes, I also like the idea of a corrupt world with a minority holding the power. The formula for chaos isn't it? More will definitely be revealed later and as for Alucard. You'll find out;)

**Tsukiyomi Lien**: Well thanks for that hun, I do strive for realism in my stories which is why I like to build up the plot and such and sorry it took some time to get this up. Life happens, ya know?

**eyes **of **sin**: Yeah I kinda disappeared from the Hellsing archive for a while. So sorry it took a while to get this up but hopefully the next chap will be up quicker. Hope you still like it:)

**CarmenD**: I updated! Aren't you proud! :D Thanks for the encouragement!

**Feuerengel Rello**: I like uniqueness, and I'm glad you do too, and I really like that you like my uniqueness :D Idk what language that was, but sure!

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Up next, is some fun action. Hope you tune in for that, and hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you'll excuse me, time for some shut eye.


	4. And Not Quite Human

**R&R**

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**A Drive Within**

**Author Comments: **What can I say, this is my favorite story to update. So here is yet another chapter. There's some explicit content in this one. Lots of blood, but if you watch Hellsing then it should be nothing out of the ordinary, right? I hope you'll enjoy this chapter, and let me know your thoughts on it.

**Disclaimer:** _I don't own Hellsing nor the poem Remember Me_.

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**Chapter Three**

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–

"Does she ever sleep?" Joey only frowned as he and Lee stared at Celena's retreating form, more bodies being carried in her grasp. The rays of the sun were barely seeping through the horizon but they both knew that she had been up for hours, if not the whole night. It was less than a week since the attack from Lord Jair's army that had left the city in ruin and hundreds dead. And while they had managed to gather most of the bodies to the outskirts, there was still the matter of burying them, a progress they were no where close to finishing.

"Have you noticed lately, she seems restless," Joey admitted as he scratched the back of his head and looked at the blond woman curiously. It was true, it seemed as if she were eager to get this task over with. This was not the first day they had woken up only to find her already up and working on the task at hand. It was as though she wanted to get it over with. Then again, he wanted the same thing as well.

"Hm. Can't say I have. Why do you think that is though?" Lee questioned as he too looked at the women. He had not interacted very much with her. He and Austin had been the ones to volunteer digging the graves, while the others worked on gathering the bodies. The only time they were all ever together was when they ate, and lately the girl had been skipping her meals as well. How she managed to work through the entire day and not manage to tire was beyond him. It was as if she was a super human. And he believed it if Joey's stories of her being in Xomet were true. Who knew what the hell they did in there.

"I... never mind. I guess she's just eager to get this over with," Lee shrugged his shoulders and accepted the answer, not really caring. He too wanted to finish this as soon as possible so they could decide what to do next. He wasn't exactly fond of seeing many of the people he had known lay dead and lifeless. He already knew what he had seen would stay with him forever. Thank God he never married or had children, he could only imagine the pain of losing a family.

"I'm gonna get started on the graves," Lee announced and headed to his post. Joey nodded and watched him go before making his way over to where he knew the truck to be. He would be the one driving it until Sebastian woke up. He was too old to carry the bodies on his own.

A few hours later it was time for breakfast. Everyone gathered outside to receive their meals and for once, the blond haired woman joined them, Joey having convinced her to take a break despite her protests. Lately she had been feeling a certain hunger. A hunger food didn't seem to satisfy and it had grown to the point that when she consumed food it seemed to want to come right back out. The reason she had stopped eating altogether. It seemed only to worsen the hunger. It was only an ache still. But it was slowly getting worse everyday.

"You should really eat Celena. When was the last time you ate?" Belinda, Melody's mother asked as she looked at the full plate in front of her. Celena smiled reassuringly.

"I'm not hungry lately. But don't worry, I grabbed something to eat last night. You were all asleep by then," Belinda shook her head disapprovingly, but accepted her answer. Everyone was slowly getting used to the girl's odd behavior and strange habits. She had been helping nonstop after all, helping the men where the rest of the women did not have the stomach to handle. It was something to both admire and appreciate so they let her be.

At that moment Joey came out of their residential building with a frown and his hands in his pockets.

"Is she going to come out to eat?" Belinda asked, and everyone knew who she was referring to as they looked towards Joey. He let out an exasperated sigh.

"No, she still refuses to even speak. This is getting ridiculous!"

"She needs time. She lost her parents after all," Austin suggested, as he had many times before.

"They were my parents too! And you don't see me acting like that. She can't keep isolating herself like that, its not healthy," Joey argued as he frowned deeper.

"Dear, she's hurting, everyone has their way of coping," Uriel tried to give him a reassuring smile, but Joey would not meet anyone's gaze.

"I'm going for a walk," he murmured and stormed off. He didn't understand how everyone could be so willing to let Rosella isolate herself like that. Why couldn't they actually help him to convince her to come out and help her? How could they just sit there and do nothing about it? And why couldn't he help Rosella? She was his sister, and his responsibility. And he was doing a horrible job.

Everyone at the camp said nothing for a short while as they looked in the direction Joey had walked off. They could understand his situation, but none knew how to handle it. Belinda sighed.

"I'll get the little girl some food," but before she could stand up to do as she said, she was stopped.

"No. I'll take her mine, and please, do not worry," the blond woman said as she grabbed her plate full of food and stood, walking into the building as all watched on curiously. The blond woman headed to the basement, where the girl had not moved from since the first day she had met her. As expected, there she sat, against a wall with her legs drawn in and tucked against her chest, her face hidden behind her brown hair that cascaded in front of her.

"I brought you food little one," she waited to for a form of answer she did not expect to receive, and was right when the little girl made no indication of having heard her. She then walked over to the little girl and sat next to her, placing the food in between them.

"I'm not leaving until you eat," she said indifferently and looked at the opposite wall, but she could feel the child's gaze on her.

She could feel the hours pass by, and the little girl seemed to fidget more and more with each passing minute. She had still not touched her food, but before long the child seemed to give into the hunger, and finally took the plate and began to eat its contents. The blond woman smiled slightly, but never once removed her gaze from the wall.

_"Do not shed tears when I have gone_  
_but smile instead because I have lived._

_Do not shut your eyes and pray to God that I'll come back_  
_but open your eyes and see all that I have left behind._

_I know your heart will be empty because you cannot see me_  
_but still I want you to be full of the love we shared._

_You can turn your back on tomorrow and live only for yesterday_  
_or you can be happy for tomorrow because of what happened_  
_between us yesterday._

_You can remember me and grieve that I have gone_  
_or you can cherish my memory and let it live on._

_You can cry and lose yourself become distraught_  
_and turn your back on the world_  
_or you can do what I want - smile, wipe away the tears,_  
_learn to love again and go on."_

The little girl has slowed her eating throughout her speech, until the blond woman could feel only her gaze on her figure.

"Remember Me by David Harkins. Written in 1958. I'm not sure how I remember it, except that something tells me it was one of my favorites. I vaguely remember a small brown book. Maybe it was full of poetry. I wish I knew. But what I do remember is that life loves to throw hardships at us, and it is our job to overcome them. We all have different ways to do it of course, but sometimes," the woman finally turned her gaze to the little girl, who looked shocked as blue eyes met green.

"Sometimes we need a little push," she smiled slightly as she stood up and outstretched her hand towards the little girl. Green eyes stared up in wariness, and once more a long length of time passed before the little girl gave into the older woman's apparent infinite patience. She took hold of her hand and was pulled up with such ease the it felt as if she was floating.

"Follow me," the young girl followed, and as she walked, her body felt unused to the action, but she continued behind this mysterious woman anyway. There was something soothing about the older woman. And her words had been so powerful. They had sounded so sad but with a certain type of warmth, a warmth that seemed to somehow seep into her own body.

The others had long gone back to work, but as Rosella followed behind the older woman, they were not missed by some of them. Melody, Lee, Belinda, and Uriel all saw the two figures make their way to the outskirts of town with shock and awe, wondering just how Celena had managed to get the little girl out of there, but at the same time, not surprised that it had been she to do it.

Along the way, the blond woman stopped outside a store. It had once been a flower shop, but it now lay empty, some of the plants already withering from the lack of attention. She motioned for the little girl to pick some flowers, her favorites, and Rosella complied, never questioning the older woman.

When her hands had taken the flowers that had caught her attention, a pink carnation and a blue anemone, they once more continued their walk that took them to the outskirts, where in front of them lay two plots of land where the ground was raised.

"This is where your parents were buried, you're brother did it himself," immediately the little girl stiffened at the news. The older woman knelt down in front of one of the graves, where she knew the father to be buried. She placed her own flower atop the grave, a white carnation. She closed her eyes and the little girl watched as it looked like she was praying. The older woman then moved to the next grave as she did the same with the previous grave.

Slowly, the little girl followed her example, and knelt down in front of the other grave.

"That is where you're father is buried."

She could see the little girl shaking as her hand reached out to place her blue flower next to the white carnation. With a deep breath the little girl stood and walked to the other grave, where the older woman moved to accommodate her. The pink carnation was placed with the white one, and both women could see how well they complimented each other.

"Could... could you say that poem again?" the little girl was not used to speaking, and the lump in her throat did not help her situation. The older woman smiled, and complied. By the time she had finished, the little girl had tears running down her face, her body shaking with soft sobs. But these tears were different, they were not just grief, they were of relief.

_Mommy, Daddy. I love you... I will get stronger. For both of you._

The blond woman was startled. That was definitely Rosella's voice. But she had heard it in her own head. Had she just read the little girl's mind? She shook her head. Impossible. She must have imagined it. So why didn't she believe herself? She quickly dismissed the thought as she averted her gaze back to the graves. They were far off from the other graves, and stood between two trees. Joey had explained to her how it had been in this spot where his parents had met and fell in love. It had also been where they had married. It was the perfect place for their resting place, and it was because of this that they were not with the others.

When the little girl's tears had finally died down, it was only some time past noon. The older woman stood and looked at the kneeling form of the little girl.

"I think there is one more person you need to talk to."

By the time they returned to the city, it was lunch time. Everyone had gathered to eat and their approach was not missed. They all smiled in welcome, but Joey, who seemed to have been pacing back and forth the entire time, swiveled in their direction, his gaze drawn immediately to the small girl walking beside Celena. His eyes were wide as he looked on. The little girl smiled for the first time in what felt like a lifetime, and rushed towards her older brother.

Their embrace was heartwarming as they watched the young man embrace his sister tightly, and once the blond woman reached them, he looked up at her with grateful eyes. She nodded before she once more moved on to finish the task at hand, something inside her telling her she must hurry, but glad that she had helped restore a bond.

–

They came just as the sun was setting over the horizon. They had already cleared the city by this point, and all that was left was to bury the dead. The children had been playing a game of tag, feeling the best since the attack had occurred, and the women had been setting a fire for the coming night while the men finished as much as they could before darkness prevented them from working.

Perhaps it would have been different if the first person they had come across hadn't been Melody. She was young, beautiful, and most of all; naïve. She had been happy when she first saw them, and rushed towards them, realizing only too late her mistake. They were carrying rifles, and they looked at her with purely carnal desire. Four men. Their clothes and faces dirty from traveling. The looked at the young women with appreciative smirks. One of the more bolder and desperate ones quickly reached for her, wrapping an arm around her waist and quickly covering her mouth before she could utter a sound.

"Quite the lady, beautiful in fact, its been a long time since I've had a women," the man laughed and pressed himself against Melody, who was quickly enveloped in fear. She struggled in his grasp and attempted to cry out, but it seemed to only please the men further as they laughed.

"Leave some for us, Blitz, don't be selfish now," one of the other men said, he was a redhead, a rare sight these days.

"Yeah, last time you ended up killing her before we could get a piece of ass," another one said, this time a man with a shaven head and an unusual accent. His words only made Melody struggle more, and tears soon began to fall down her face as the men holding her hiked up her dress and unbutton his pants.

"Shut it, I'm trying to fuck over here," the men had no shame as they looked at the scene with smirks and anticipation, but in the man's rush, his mouth slipped from Melody's mouth as he pushed himself inside her, a scream of pain escaping her virgin mouth.

The women and children had heard them from their close proximity, but only the blond women had heard from the outskirts, her unusual keen hearing easily catching the scream of pain.

"Melody's in trouble," the working men knew better than to doubt the woman as they quickly followed her running figure, dread quickly filling their hearts.

The scene in front of them was a gruesome one. Melody was on the ground, sobbing as the man atop of her pounded into her with no mercy.

"Stop it! Leave her alone!" Belinda cried out in horror as she attempted to run towards them. The man did not stop, even when the others entered into the clearing, instead the other three men pulled out their rifles and aimed them at the intruders. Austin quickly held onto his wife she struggled in his grasp as she fought to run towards her daughter, cries of pleads escaping her.

"Don't move, or we'll shoot," the redhead said, aiming his rifle.

"Let my daughter go you bastards!" Austin cried out, a fierce glare on his face as he fought to quell the rage inside him as he watched his daughter being defiled. His body shook as he struggled to stand his ground, knowing if he dared move he would be shot and killed on the spot.

"Nah, she's too pretty to let go, I think we'll keep her awhile. In fact, why not give us that wife of yours as well? She ain't too bad looking. And that blond one with the nice tits, I think I like her best," the shaved one replied, a smirk on his face.

The blond women in question looked at the scene with wide eyes. Something flashed through her mind as she watched Melody being raped. In Melody's place she saw a blond woman, she was dead, but a man still defiled her body. A room, covered with blood. Another men lay dead. A closet. The image brought rage flowing into her system as she once more watched the man that stood above Melody's body.

"You men are sick," her fists clenched at her sides as she took a step forward. All rifles became aimed at her as she took yet another step forward.

"You are all nothing but filth in this world," the men clicked off the safety's of their gun, not yet worried but ready to take action if they needed to, they didn't mind taking a life, even if it meant losing a fine piece of ass.

"Celena, no..." Joey called out as he attempted to move forward, but was quickly stopped by Uriel as she grabbed his arm and shook her head, her gaze never moving from the blond's advancing figure.

"Taking advantage of a young girl. Robbing her of her most precious possession. You. Will. Pay," she looked up, and the men were taking aback by the red that now consumed her once blue eyes.

"What the...?" the redhead never saw her coming. One moment she stood in front of them, the next his head was cleanly decapitated from his body and rolling towards the other two men. They both screamed as panic soon flooded their system as they watched the dead body slump to the ground, blood pooling around it.

"Kill her!" the man with a shaved head yelled as he shot his assault rifle in a flurry, aiming at her only for her to easily dodge his shots as she advanced, quickly closing the distance between them and driving her hand through his chest. Blood sprayed all over her and onto one of the remaining men who attempted to turn and run only for her to pull on one of his arms and rip it away from the rest of his body. He screamed in agony as the arm holding his rifle unconsciously pressed the trigger, a spray of bullets emptying into the air.

She vaguely heard screams from the others but all she saw was red. The hunger that had slowly been building up in her seemed to sharpen at the smell of the coppery blood, and without thinking she bared her fangs and dug them into the man's throat, the blood that filled her making her feel better than she had ever felt. She took her fill and dropped the dead body.

Then she turned towards the last of the men. He had removed himself from Melody, but now lay back on the ground, his body shaking and perspiration covering his face as he looked at the woman in fear.

"P-please. Don't kill me!" he cried as he staggered backwards. The rage within her did not quell, only increased as she saw his pathetic state. To think that Melody had lost her purity to someone of the likes of him.

"You are garbage. Filth. Pathetic. Death is far too good for you. Even the deepest pits of Hell are not worthy of you," she approached him slowly, like a hunter closing in on its prey. He scrambled to get up, but with little success as she closed in on him, grabbing him by the throat and lifting him into the air with ease. He struggled in her grasp, whimpers escaping him.

"You have soiled a young women with your filth, there is no punishment deserving enough for the likes of you, but I will make you suffer," he cried out as she reached between his legs, grabbing hold of what had stolen Melody's purity, and tugged. He screamed in agony as his member was cleanly ripped off.

"Hurts doesn't it?" the man had began to sob through the pain and she smirked.

"What next? An arm? A leg? An eye?"

"Please, don't. Just kill me dammit!" he yelled. She frowned. How pathetic. Already begging for death.

"Oh, I will. It just won't be quick. I think I want an arm," and she obliged, grabbing a hold of one of his arms and tugging, causing another scream of agony to escape the man. She was reaching for the other one when she felt a hand on her arm. She swiveled around, a sneer on her face until she saw Lee. His gaze hard and commanding.

"Stop."

The red in her eyes slowly faded back to blue, and she obliged, tossing the body on the ground. He remained sobbing and whimpering on the ground, blood quickly pooling around him. Lee walked over to one of the other dead men, and grabbed one of the rifles. He walked towards the whimpering figure and aimed, closing his eyes as he shot the body straight through the head, and opened them back up to see it stilled. He dropped the rifle and walked back towards the others, his shoulder slumped as if carrying a new burden.

No one moved for a moment, until Belinda rushed out of her husband's grasp and towards her still whimpering daughter that remained on the ground. Her husband followed suit but looked at the blond woman covered in blood with wariness. The children had stayed back, but she could see them peeking out from behind the buildings, terror evident in their eyes.

The blond woman seemed to take in the sight for the first time. The dead bodies, blood everywhere. She felt horrified for a moment, despite that she knew the men had deserved it. She looked up to see Joey's face. He looked at her with wide eyes. She saw fear in his eyes, and she slowly walked towards them. He seemed to shake himself from his shock as she got closer.

"Stay back!" he cried out, and she stopped. The others made no move to contradict him as they too looked at her with fear and wariness, with the exception of Belinda and Austin who were quickly checking on their daughter.

"You're not human..."

* * *

He had felt it. It had been faint, it had been brief, but there was no doubt in his mind that for a brief moment he had felt their bond. He stood from his throne, and tried to search for it once more. It was no use. It had been too faint, over too quickly. He frowned and phased through the walls until he found himself in what had been her favorite balcony of their castle. Her scent had faded through the years, but it was still there. He took it in with closed eyes, savoring the unique scent only she possessed.

He had searched for her for years, destroyed countless of human facilities in his search, and continued to find nothing. The humans had been clever in their methods, somehow managing to shield her from him. But they had been foolish to take her from him in the first place.

"Soon... the time will come. Humanity will pay."

**TBC

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**Review responses:**

**Larisa**: Thanks! I'm glad you took the time to read and review my story.

**gg**: Thank you, I'm very glad you think so and I appreciate the review.

**Tsukiyomi Lien**: I'm glad you understand:) And yes, I think from this point on things might move slightly quicker, now that Seras has shown she's not exactly human, as well as the other finding out. Quite the mess I made isn't it? Thanks again for reviewing and telling me your thoughts. It truly motivates me to know I have such a faithful reader.

**OiseauLune -Moon Bird**: Thank you! And I plan on it! :D

**WOWOWOWOWOW**: I'm glad you think so too! And once more I am glad you like it, it makes writing worthwhile:)

**Feuerengel Rello**: Aw shucks, thanks. I'm glad I can be a gift from fate, but writing is simply a reward all on its own. Thanks for the review and kind words:)

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Okay well, there ya go! A nice blend on mushiness, blood, and of course, Alucard. Ahh, how will the rest of the team cope with this new discovery of 'Celena'? What does Alucard plan to do with Humanity? Why am I not getting lots of reviews? Lol just kidding. I appreciate those I do receive, but it doesn't hurt to send me one right?;)

Thanks for reading!


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